The city's unemployment rate stood at a near rock-bottom 4.3 per cent in November while the number of people holding down jobs struck the 49,500 mark, the highest total so far this year, according to Statistics Canada labour market survey numbers issued Friday.
After peaking in September 2012 at a record 52,500 people employed, that figure declined to as low as 46,000 by April but has largely been inching up ever since. The city has seen a lower unemployment rate this year, when it hit a record low of 3.8 per cent in June.
That said, the size of the city's labour force - made up of people of working age - continued to decline and stood at 51,700 last month, compared to 52,100 in October and 54,000 a year ago.
Initiatives Prince George chief executive officer Heather Oland said the economic development agency will be working this coming year on a citywide recruitment plan to aid businesses in drawing more skilled labour to the city.
"We're in a tight labour market and so the numbers sort of fluctuate up and down a little bit but not dramatically," Oland said.
"The solution is to make sure we are training people for the economy that is and providing the education for people to get the jobs that business needs and that we are attracting new population to grow because that's how much opportunity there is. At 4.3 per cent, Prince George is functionally fully employed and that means that we need to expand the labour force."
